This invention concerns a behind-the-ear hearing aid according to the preamble to claim 1.
With these types of hearing aids, it is common to provide an on/off switch and, separately from it, another activating organ, for example for adjusting the amplification. This leads, especially when operating the applied hearing aid, to the problem of feeling around for the activating organ needed, not to mention that the activating organs provided take up substantial structural volume and providing the organs mentioned causes considerable complication of the hearing aid with the electrical connections to be provided, and also makes it more prone to problems.
The purpose of this-invention is to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned. For this purpose, the hearing aid in the invention has the features in claim 1.
According to the invention, two categories of switching functions are combined on one and the same activating organ, namely, in the positions mentioned, preferably the ON/OFF switch of the hearing aid and, in a second activating direction, for example adjustment of amplification. This increases the user friendliness on one hand and makes it possible to differentiate by feel the two different types of activation on an activating switch, on the other hand. The single activating switch in the invention also takes up less structural volume and the hearing aid as a whole is simpler, because electrical connections to switching organs need be placed only in the area of an activating organ provided.
Providing only one mechanically activated organ also reduces its proneness to problems and if problems do occur, makes them much simpler to repair.
As mentioned, in one preferred form of embodiment, one of the positions is used as the on position of the hearing aid, the other as the off position, and the activating organ, when activated in the second direction, works as a toggle switch. In another preferred embodiment, the activating organ is tilt-mounted on a slide that can move basically linearly and has a contact that can be brought into contact with a fixed switching contact on the device by activating it in the second direction. This contact is preferably made of a flexible plastic, preferably shaped like a little hat, as is known from computer keyboard mats or remote-control keyboards. It is also preferred that the first activating direction of the activating organ lie basically in the direction of generating lines on the hearing aid body, preferably along outside curved generating lines, in relation to the flexure of the hearing aid body, and the second activating direction perpendicular to the walls of the body of the hearing aid.